Gambles
by annicaspoon
Summary: The dangerous thing about setting a coin down a path, is that it might never come back, and you'll regret it. You may try to save it, but in doing so the result may be that you've just made it fall faster. Artemis/Jade friendship fic. After Infiltrator


**OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY FINISHED.**

**Thanks a ton to Dicey and Claire for motivating me to finish this. And also the four hour road trip I was able to finish it in.**

**So - 500 and 1000 dong (the money in Vietnam) is not a lot – at all.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize**

oOo

"_We don't sleep when the sun goes down,_

_We don't waste no precious time,_

_All my friends in the loop,_

_Making up for teenage crime"_

_~"Teenage Crime" – Adrian Lux_

~o~

The "wishing well" resides in a Gotham shopping centre. It isn't a real well; and it doesn't grant wishes – I'm sure of that.

It's just a giant tub, shaped like an upside down cone. You drop coins into one of the slots around the rim, and they roll down and around the cone, getting faster and faster until they drop into the hole at the bottom. As it goes down, you make a wish.

The whole idea seems so stupid. Pathetically hopeful. But pathetic or not, this upside-down-tub wishing well is the same one that I'm standing in front of, fiddling with two quarters in my right hand.

~o~

_Two coins laid expectantly on the bench. "What do you mean you can't give me anything?" A young blonde girl glared up at the gruff old man in front of her. _

"_You haven't got enough kid," he grunted "get outta here."_

_The blonde tapped the two coins on the bench furiously. "But it's one thousand dong! That's enough for some rice or some bread!"_

"_I don't take coins." He picked up a stone from the bench top. "Now beat it – before I make you." She stubbornly continued to glare at him but thought better of it once the storekeeper began to toss the rock in his hand. She grabbed the coins from the bench and stalked off, glancing around the marketplace._

_A strong hand grabbed her wrist and she whirled around, fist ready. An older, dark haired girl, unfazed by the threatening fist, held out her free hand._

"_Give us the coins."_

"_What?"_

_Green eyes flashed as the older girl grinned. "I found a guy who can give us stuff. Pass 'em." The younger girl sighed and dropped the coins into the hand in front of her face. "Wait here." A flurry of dark hair disappeared and the blonde-haired girl was left in the middle of the marketplace glaring at no-one._

_She was starting to get nervous when a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the crowded lane. "Jade," she grumbled as the older girl yanked her into a small side path._

"_Check it out," The dark-haired girl, Jade, held up a thin tube, "Five hundred dong for this," she also held up a small box, "and five hundred to light it." She grinned and began investigating the box._

"_Jade!" The other girl looked at her, horrified. "That was for food!" Jade rolled her eyes._

"_Relax, will you? It'll be easy enough to steal a bag of rice on the way home. Hold this," She dropped the tube into her friend's hand and pulled the single match from the box. The other girl looked at the tube warily. "Come on Artemis, loosen up." Jade smirked. "Apparently Americans have these all the time, you should ask your dad about them."_

_Artemis frowned, "Shut up." Jade snorted and lit the match, using it to light the tube. She sucked on the unlit end, coughed a little, and laughed, smoke coming out with her breath. Jade pushed the cigarette towards Artemis, beckoning her to try. The younger girl reluctantly reached for the tube and put it towards her own mouth. She breathed in deeply, and Jade smirked as she launched into a coughing fit. The smoke-stick dropped onto the ground and Jade bent down to pick it up, putting it back in her own mouth as Artemis continued coughing. _

_Jade continued to suck on the smoke stick for a while Artemis glared at her. After some time, before the cigarette was finished, she wrinkled her nose and tossed it to the ground. "Come on," she jerked her head towards the marketplace, "let's get some food then."_

~o~

I shouldn't even be here. The walk home was not supposed to have a pit stop at a mall. I can't buy anything from here, not clothes or food or anything. The only thing I can use the money I have is at this wishing well, which is an idiotic and dangerous idea anyway.

I should just walk away from this thing. Just turn around and walk away.

Unfortunately, just walking away has never been one of my strongest qualities.

~o~

_The sharp stab of a pelted rock hit her in the back of the shoulder and she whirled around glaring. The culprits were standing a few yards away, a group of three boys, all bigger than her, snickering and juggling more stones. _

_Another stone flew towards her, whipping past her head, and she heard one of the boys mutter the phrase that she hated; "Half-caste". In that instant she loathed the thick blonde hair that clearly marked her as being out of place in the Vietnamese village. She stalked over to the boys._

"_What do you want, half-caste?" The boy in front sneered as soon as she got close. Artemis glared up at him. "Shut up," she muttered._

_He snorted. "Or what? You'll get dear old American daddy to come get us?"_

"_I don't need him to handle you." She raised her chin towards them defiantly, but a spray of spit hit her in the face._

"_Yeah, sure," he scoffed, "You're just afraid that everybody will know that your daddy's a murderer. All Americans are." Artemis curled her hands into fists as the boy's voice lowered into a hiss. "Just go back to where you came from you dirty, American-blooded, half-caste."_

_And with that – she pounced on him._

_She wasn't completely sure of everything that happened next. She only knew that she was mad, and she wanted them to hurt. She was fighting blindly, striking out at any body part that was close enough. It was three against one, but Artemis knew she wasn't going to lose. She refused to. _

_She was so distracted by the fight that she barely noticed that another small body had brought itself into the brawl, swiftly kicking and twisting around Artemis' opponents, contrasting her own fighting style. _

_When she got a moment, Jade turned and flashed a grin towards Artemis. She was enjoying this. Her reaction to the situation confused Artemis, yet her joy was infectious, and Artemis also began to feel the adrenaline-filled giddiness take over. _

_Her happiness was cut short as she was pulled off one of the boys and sat down a safe distance away. Her mother held her down by her shoulders and frowned at her with a mixture of disappointment and frustration on her face. She silently shook her head at Artemis and stood up to walk away and provide an explanation to the other parents that had gathered around._

_Jade was pushed down next to Artemis and sighed, leaning back with a content look on her face. "Well that was fun," she giggled, "Don't you reckon?"_

_Artemis didn't answer, beginning to feel the bruises and scratches from the fight. Jade continued, either not feeling any pain, or choosing to ignore it._

"_So how did you manage to get in that whole thing anyway?"_

_Artemis shrugged. "Daddy always says to never let anyone insult you and get away with it," she picked up a stick and started drawing in the dirt, "and to never back down from a fight."_

"_Of course," Jade rolled her eyes. "You've always gotta do what Daddy says."_

"_If you don't like it, then why did you help me?" Artemis glared at her. Jade laughed._

"_Come on kid," she winked, "us half-castes have to stick together. I'll always have your back."_

"_Besides," she shrugged, "it was fun."_

~o~

The problem with the wishing well is that once you put a coin down it, it's difficult to get it back. Sometimes the coin will get stuck just before the bottom, hanging perilously between the dark pit and it's salvation in the form of you. Maybe you'll try to save it, or stop it on its way down, but if you do that, one of two things will happen. 1) You'll save it, bring it close to you and keep it safe, or 2) you'll disrupt it, it'll stop for a second, before plummeting straight into that dark pit.

Most of the time, the second one happens, and all you've done is cause that coin to fall into the point of no return even faster than it was before.

And the worst thing is, you've lost that coin for a measly wish.

I flip the quarters in my hand one last time, then drop them through the slot.

~o~

_White to red, red to white, white to red again. The target board stood starkly against the green of the jungle 20 metres away. A hand landed on Artemis' shoulder and she heard her father's voice in her ear. "The bullseye," she focussed on the smallest red area, right in the middle, "hit it."_

_Artemis took a deep breath and raised the bow in her hands. She knocked in an arrow, her hand wobbling slightly. Eve before she released it, she knew the shot was going to be off. It planted itself on the upper corner of the board, and she heard her father sigh._

"_Again." She readied another arrow and shot again, this time hitting over the target. _

"_Aim, Artemis. Don't just shoot." _

_She tried to slow down her shots and focus on the target, though none of them got even close to hitting the bullseye. After the numerous failed attempts, she growled and threw the bow on the ground. "This is stupid!" She screamed. _

_She made to walk away but was stopped by Sportmaster's form. "The only thing that's stupid is that you're giving up." Artemis looked meekly up her father and he nodded towards the bow. "Pick it up, get the arrows and try again." Ever so obedient, Artemis followed the order and once again aimed for the target._

"_Think before you shoot," Sportsmaster said, "You will never be able to hit someone if you don't think and focus before you take the shot. You have to focus and feel where the bow is going to take the arrow."_

_Artemis continued to aim her shots for the bullseye, taking more time to focus on getting close. It was beginning to work, as the arrows were starting to cluster more consistently in the few circles around the bullseye. After a long time, the sun was starting to dip down, and Sportsmaster nodded._

"_You're doing better, keep going." He turned around. "Don't come in until you've hit it." He walked off, leaving his daughter in the clearing alone._

_She wasn't alone for very long however, as she found when she was about to release her next arrow._

"_Whatcha doing?" The arrow slipped and shot straight into the ground. Jade was looking at her with her best innocent-looking face as Artemis glared at her accusingly. "What?"_

_Artemis turned back towards the target and once again tried to focus while her friend seated herself on a nearby log to watch. Artemis could feel her attention wavering under Jade's intent gaze, and it showed in her aim, as her shots became increasing inconsistent and off-target. Jade sighed in the background. "Boring…"_

_She eventually grew tired of watching Artemis' persistence and pushed herself off the log. She calmly walked over to the target and picked up the discarded arrows littering the ground and, pulling the others out of the board, drew her arm back and speared them into the board close to the bullseye. She smirked, admiring her handiwork before finishing it off with a final arrow right in the bullseye._

_Jade looked back at Artemis with a Cheshire grin on her face. Artemis tried to speak. "Jade you can't-"_

"_Wow Artemis! You actually got it! Nice job!" Jade ran back to the log and seated herself while Artemis listened for her father's footsteps. Jade smiled smugly at her with a 'you can thank me later' look on her face._

_When her father came back, Jade proudly showed him the target, exclaiming enthusiastically while Artemis played along. Artemis hoped that her father would make a comment of approval, congratulate her but his only move was a slight nod, before he once again turned to leave. "Good," he said. "Pack it up, you can practice more tomorrow." Artemis frowned at her feet while he walked away, before stealing a glance at Jade._

_The older girl had now stood up, and was also ready to leave the clearing. She winked and grinned at Artemis, and spoke in a low voice, so Sportsmaster couldn't hear, "I guess I'll be watching you tomorrow then." Artemis looked back down at the ground, biting back a smile. One day she would hit the bullseye on her own, one day._

_Just not for a while._

~o~

The friction between the coins and the tub cause a humming sound as the coins wheel down. At certain points they separate from each other, then come back together again. The spirals they follow instantly remind me of the Disney style spirals, like the spirals that appear whenever that weird snake from 'The Jungle Book' tries to hypnotise someone.

The Jungle Book has always been my favourite movie, except for the part with the stupid monkeys that try to keep Mowgli prisoner. Monkeys are just annoying, but the ones in the Jungle Book are annoying _and_ egotistical. Kinda like Kid Flash.

Jade hated the Jungle Book, she said the jungle was too much like ours, and the characters weren't crazy enough.

~o~

"_I'm the Cheshire cat," Jade declared, "and you can be Alice."_

"_Why do I have to be Alice?" Artemis didn't want to be Alice. Alice wore dresses, and cried so much that her tears filled up the room she was stuck in. Alice spoke with a weird accent and had a habit of saying 'curiouser and curiouser' over and over again. Artemis did _not_ want to be Alice._

"_Because," Jade said, "You both have yellow hair, and I always have to help you out because you don't know how to do anything for yourself."_

"_I do so! I'm not Alice! I'm, I'm," Artemis tried to think through the fiercest of all evil characters in the cartoon movies that played on the small box TV in one of the richer homes in town. "I'm Shere Khan," she burst out. Jade looked at her for a moment before collapsing into laughter._

"_You can't be Shere Khan," she giggled. "You're not scary or mean enough."_

"_Am so! And I can be whoever I want to be!"_

"_Well you'd be a pretty sucky Shere Khan," Jade smirked._

"_Well _you'd_ be a sucky Cheshire Cat."_

"_Not really," she shrugged, which prompted Artemis to think about the real Cheshire Cat. Disappearing all the time, grinning like he always knows something Alice doesn't, _really_ annoying, and completely mad._

_Maybe Jade fitted the role of the Cheshire Cat more than she thought._

~o~

With each revolution, the coins fall faster, speeding up more and more as they get closer to dark void ready to swallow them whole. They're almost to the point of no return, ready to fall down and never be able to come back out of the shadows.

~o~

"_Do you have to wear that stupid mask?" Jade rolled her eyes and glanced down at the said object, while Artemis glared up at her. _

"_It keeps my identity hidden," Artemis replied, fixing it onto her face. "Dad wears his ridiculous hockey mask, and I wear this." The roughly constructed mask was painted black and orange, and it confronted Jade with an ominous tiger's snarl. Jade wrinkled her nose at the transformation of her younger friend's face, and looked away. "Remind me to never wear something as stupid as that," she muttered, while Artemis picked up her crossbow and quiver and walked further into the tangled surrounding of the forest they were currently in._

"_Whatever, Jade." _

_Jade rolled her eyes again. Artemis had been acting off ever since they were asked to do a job for the League of Shadows, and Jade didn't like it. She was supposed to be the one eager to partake in crime, while Artemis was supposed to remain the same kid that tried so hard to break the rules but couldn't get through her innocence. Once they were given a job by the Shadows however, Artemis had become increasingly driven to work and prove herself to them, and Jade knew the exact reason why._

"_I don't even know why you're bothering with that mask," She pressed. "It's not like anyone's going to see us, and your mum never wore one."_

_Artemis stopped so suddenly it was like she had walked into a wall. She whirled around and faced Jade. "Shut up!" she hissed, and Jade imagined that if there wasn't such a need for them to be quiet, Artemis would have been yelling. Jade felt a sharp twinge of sympathy for the younger girl, but retained a nonchalant exterior._

"_Well," she shrugged, "we should probably finish this job already." She pushed past Artemis and walked further into the forest. Rain had begun to patter down, the mixed sound of it and the noise that the nocturnal insects made easily disguising the sound of their footsteps crunching through the scrub. Artemis followed Jade silently, probably still angry._

_They stopped at the edge of the forest, where the thick vegetation stopped suddenly and opened up to reveal a large industrial building, lit up from all angles. Both the girls scanned the area for guards, noting a few walking around the perimeter clutching onto guns. Jade led the way, pausing in the shadows that the harsh lights created. Artemis followed close behind, an arrow ready to be released in her crossbow._

_They made it to just outside the building without a fuss and worked on getting through one of the doors. It wouldn't open, so Jade gestured for Artemis to stay put while she looked for another opening. _

_Artemis pushed herself up against the wall to stay in the shadows as much as possible. Her nervousness and anticipation of the job, as well as the pressure to do well with it, was making her feel like she needed to pee. It was just like a game of hide and seek, only with guns and arrows._

_One of the said guns appeared in the corner of her eye. The guard was just strolling around, his gaze flitting across the concreted landscape. Artemis pushed herself further against the wall, biting back a whimper and hoping that the building could swallow her whole. She raised her crossbow, willing her hands to stop shaking, and waited._

_The guard stopped for a moment to speak into his radio. He began to turn toward her. _

_Jade was watching the scene from the edge of the next wall. She knew Artemis wouldn't be game enough do it, and pulled a shuriken out ready to throw it if the guard noticed either of them. The guard was now steeping towards the spot Artemis was in. If he glanced up, for even a second…_

_An arrow thudded into his arm and Jade immediately sprung towards him, forcing a hand over his mouth so his cry of pain became a strangled groan. She swiftly brought the shuriken to his neck and gave a quick slice, allowing the guard to slump down into a pool of his own blood._

_Artemis stared at the body, her mouth open. Jade ignored her shocked expression. "You have to shoot to kill," she told the archer, "this is what we have to do in the Shadows; we have to kill."_

_Artemis' gaze snapped up to meet Jade's. "I knew that," she hissed, "I just missed."_

_Jade nodded, though she didn't believe it one bit. Artemis rarely missed._

~o~

I can feel dread prickly at my skin as the coins get closer and closer to the hole. What if I need them? I should've never put them into the slot. I have to get them back. I need them, _both_ of them.

I slam my hand down onto the tub, my eyes scrunched shut. But I don't need to see to know that I failed. I know what's in my hand.

One quarter.

Ironic.

I pull away from the wishing well, single coin in my hand. I probably look like the biggest idiot, trying to get my coins back and acting like I've lost a friend when one of them fall into the bottom. Worst thing is, to me, it's not entirely crazy.

I glance around the mall, hoping that not too many disapproving eyes are on me. Thankfully, barely anyone is paying attention to the angsty teenager in the middle of the shopping centre. Only one pair of eyes is fixated on me. A woman, hovering against the wall, away from the crowds…

She winks at me and turns away, and then I know for _sure_. I watch closely as she darts behind one of the black curtains that cover the empty spaces where shops are yet to be built and follow, looking around the mall for other watchful eyes as I step through the curtain myself.

It smells like sawdust inside, and the room is cluttered with tables and old machines. No doubt it acts as a storage area for the surrounding shops. The whole room is dark, except for a stream of light filtering through an open door to the left; the easy clue for me to go through it.

I push through and step over the littered mess, and step out the door into painful sunlight. I'm on the loading dock, surrounded by packing crates and flattened cardboard. I walk over to the other side of a recycling bin and see her waiting for me.

She flashes her notorious grin. "Hey kid."

On instinct, I reach for my bow on my back, but of course, I don't have it. "What do you want?" I say, hoping that my voice isn't a mark of how shocked and unstable I'm feeling.

She mockingly pouts. "Is it so wrong for someone to visit and old friend?"

"For you, yes."

"Ouch." Under her fake offended expression, I see that she's glad. "You haven't changed a bit have you? Still the same stubborn and serious kid that tries too hard." She stares into a space behind me, "That's good."

_Well you're the same annoying and careless kid that couldn't give a damn what anyone else thinks,_ I want to say, but I brush it off. "Why are you here, Jade?"

Her cheerful façade disappears, and she glances around apprehensively, like eyes could be anywhere. "You might want to get a better costume," she says softly, and I feel a knot of confusion and fear tie itself in my stomach.

"What?"

"Look Artemis." All joking and indifference is gone, and Jade begins to shows the side of herself that she hardly lets anyone see. "You're lucky that Hook and Black Spider don't know you too well, and are complete idiots to go with that. I recognized you as soon as I saw you, and if I can, then other members of the Shadows will be able to."

"So?" I shift my feet. I know what she's getting at, but I didn't want to have to think about it.

"Don't be an idiot Artemis. If Sensei or Ra's al Gul find out your working for the Justice League, they're going to be pissed." It's rare to see Jade act like she's actually worried about something like this, there are few things she cares about. "Not to mention you've got your asshole of a dad to deal with. I don't even know how you've gotten this past him so far."

"I haven't seen him in months," I fold my arms, "Mum kicked him out." I start to think back to the conversation they had as she told him to give his job or me up. Naturally, he picked the job. "Besides," I continue, "he's not going to find out. Unless someone tells him." I give Jade a pointed look with the last sentence.

She rolls her eyes. "Relax. I wouldn't give him directions to a bathroom if he begged me. There's no way I'd let him in on my information."

She turns and instantly the casual disguise comes back on. "Well it was great catching up with you," she says, "we should do this more often."

I glare at her, and instantly it's like we're nine and twelve again. "In your dreams," I mutter. She smirks and walks towards the truck entrances for the loading dock. I turn the opposite way to walk back through the empty lot.

"Hey Artemis!" I whip around. "I won't be going easy on you next time," she says, smiling smugly, and I smirk in return.

"Neither will I." She gives on last Cheshire grin and disappears behind the building. I open my hand and look at the single quarter in the sweaty centre of my palm.

Screw it.

I toss the quarter and step back into the mall.

oOo

**I'd actually really like some constructive criticism on this – but if you're to lazy to I don't really mind.**

**Enjoy!**


End file.
